The women's Lingerie Football League is now the Legends Football League.

The league includes the Kent-based Seattle Mist who play at the ShoWare Center. League officials announced the name change Wednesday.

"This is the next step in the maturation of our now global sport," said Mitchell S. Mortaza, league founder and chairman, in a media release. "While the Lingerie Football League name has drawn great media attention allowing us to showcase the sport to millions, we have now reached a crossroad of gaining credibility as a sport or continuing to be viewed as a gimmick.

"In the coming years we will further establish this sport in the U.S., Australia, Europe and Asia as the most known form of American football globally. In order to reach the next milestone, we feel the focus has to be the sport and our amazing athletes."

Kent has had a team since the league started in 2009.

League officials also said performance wear will replace all lingerie aspects of uniformd; new designs of logos will remove any sexy female figures; shoulder pads will be redesigned to increase protection; and the brand tagline shifts from 'True Fantasy Football' to 'Women of the Gridiron.'

Seattle opens the 2013 season against the Green Bay Chill on April 6 at the ShoWare Center.

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